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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

I feel like the beard is the last straw.....

29 replies

sittingducky · 28/11/2023 22:08

Rather long here. I can hardly believe I am putting this out to strangers on the internet. Let me start by saying this is the story of a 30 plus year marriage. Recently empty nested after brining up 4 kids. Rewind a year back at this time when I realized and was prepping myself for the feeling of having no kids around... what was I going to do since I had been a stay at home mom with only volunteer jobs over the years. I was always busy. I was thankful not to have to work. The last kid that left happened to have a real extra special connection to my husband. I know my husband is transitioning too however, He has his career and I'm kinda starting over. I will tell u he is a virgo. He has always been about perfection and it has driven me crazy for years. Part of his personality is anger and I have accepted it and tried ti help him through it. So last year at this time I gave an ultimatum.. Either put the phone down and be transparent and deal with how you disrepect me or I am out. So he did elect to try and we made strides. I am not one to be a snoop but I did ask if we could both feel free to look at each others phones. It took time for him to allow me to see his. He did. However... the phone time... the more easily angered... and NOW THE BEARD? He looks horrible with it. I kindly have said you look so much better clean shaven. I asked him why? First it was no shave Nov. Then the story changed to he wanted to look distinguished. My gut is screaming at me that the beard is either for someone else he is chatting with or crushing on or possibly to attract females. The simple fact that I find him unattractive in it and does not care srsly raises a redflag. I am exhausted from trying to communicate in any healthy way with him. Any advice?

OP posts:
determinedtomakethiswork · 28/11/2023 22:10

But if it's making him look more unattractive, then it's a win for you, isn't it in that presumably other women won't find him attractive either.

TheHawkisHowling · 28/11/2023 22:14

I don't think it's up to you to tell other people what they can do with their own hair.

I also don't think a solution to anything is to be looking through his phone. That's not healthy.

Plus, what does his star sign matter??

And the jealousy is a big red flag from you.

If he's disrespectful, that's another thing but I'm not hearing much respect for him from you.

Unless he's done something really awful to you which you haven't specified, you sound pretty unreasonable.

Your post is quite garbled so if I've missed something important, please clarify.

sittingducky · 28/11/2023 22:17

Not so sure. I feel like is possible that the woman he could be chatting with or is trying to attract could have told him she likes beards. Idk.. but me saying that I find it unattractive and him not caring?

OP posts:
Whenwasthis · 28/11/2023 22:19

This isn't a beard issue, it's trust.

Circumferences · 28/11/2023 22:19

Part of his personality is anger and I have accepted it and tried ti help him through it. So last year at this time I gave an ultimatum.. Either put the phone down and be transparent and deal with how you disrepect me or I am out. So he did elect to try and we made strides. I am not one to be a snoop but I did ask if we could both feel free to look at each others phones. It took time for him to allow me to see his. He did. However... the phone time... the more easily angered... and NOW THE BEARD?

Hang on....
I'm trying to make sense of this.
He's often angry towards you and uses his phone too much?
Is his phone use what you view as "disrespectful" - like he's ignoring you to stare at his phone? Or is it more he is actually disrespecting you verbally?
I wouldn't continue in a relationship with someone verbally disrespecting me in anger.... How on earth will this have impacted on you children?

The beard is the least of your worries.
It's quite normal for a man to decide to grow a beard later on in life. Even a big fluffy grey one. My neighbor has! He's late 60's in age. His wife just finds it funny. They have a healthy loving relationship.

sittingducky · 28/11/2023 22:22

He has had anger issues for years and def verbally abusive.

OP posts:
Cosycover · 28/11/2023 22:26

sittingducky · 28/11/2023 22:17

Not so sure. I feel like is possible that the woman he could be chatting with or is trying to attract could have told him she likes beards. Idk.. but me saying that I find it unattractive and him not caring?

Bet she's a Leo. They love beards.

TheHawkisHowling · 28/11/2023 22:26

sittingducky · 28/11/2023 22:22

He has had anger issues for years and def verbally abusive.

Then you should probably consider leaving him rather than stressing over a beard. It's clearly very emotionally unhealthy and stressful for you if it's got to the point you're this wound up over hair.

LucyvanderPelt · 28/11/2023 22:26

What makes you think he is chatting to other women? Is it just because he spends so much time on his phone? Did you find anything suspicious when you looked through it?

converseandjeans · 28/11/2023 22:27

@sittingducky

He has had anger issues for years and def verbally abusive.

I think the beard is the least of your worries. I can't see you having a fun retirement together beard or no beard.

sittingducky · 28/11/2023 22:27

His anger did have an impact on our children. Luckily they all are in college doing well and have had therapy.. they all seem to have healthy relationships so far thank goodness. How is his phone use disrespectful? Well lets just say he can't even have a conversation in bed these days without being glued to it. Then he calls me names and tells me ti stfu! Oh and I have been initiating sex....and I am attractive smart and loving.

OP posts:
TomatoSandwiches · 28/11/2023 22:28

I don't see this marriage working for much longer op.
I would look at retraining and finding a full time job so you can support yourself.

You don't get to demand what he does with his facial hair and you shouldn't have to put up with verbal abuse.
I wouldn't want to be in a relationship where I wasn't trusted either with them wanting to snoop on my phone.

converseandjeans · 28/11/2023 22:28

I also hate beards - I just don't get the craze.

PickAChew · 28/11/2023 22:30

I'm exhausted from reading your post.

Perhaps it's time to accept that you cannot happily grow old together and move on.

PickAChew · 28/11/2023 22:32

Useful ad as always 😅

I feel like the beard is the last straw.....
sittingducky · 28/11/2023 22:42

Lol. Well Leo is all about themselves so she is perfect

OP posts:
sittingducky · 28/11/2023 22:44

Umm wait. The phone thing was a two way street last Jan... a way to both be transparent because trust issues on both sides existed. I never asked again. Just to clarify.

OP posts:
Borth · 28/11/2023 22:49

Virgo😂

flowerchild2000 · 28/11/2023 22:51

I don't think anger issues are a personality trait. It's poor emotional regulation skills. That's his responsibility to work on, not yours. It's also not your place to tell him if he can have a beard or not. If your attraction to him rests on his jawline, you're just not attracted to him. There's no trust either. It's not much of a relationship. This often happens when marriages are built on their children instead of each other. Have a talk and make your peace with where your relationship is at and let him go.

sittingducky · 28/11/2023 23:11

Why are u laughing?

OP posts:
PickAChew · 28/11/2023 23:21

I'm laughing at the cynical advertising.

A PP is laughing at you putting so much faith in the supposed effects of the night sky on the day someone was born. It's the sort of shit my ex MIL would give weight to over and above actual facts ie your relationship is shit but hey, it might not have been if he wasn't born in July.

FreeRider · 28/11/2023 23:27

I'm a Leo and I hate beards.

mightymam · 28/11/2023 23:41

I'm a Virgo (woman) and I love beards! I think men look weird without one 🤷🏻‍♀️

Aroundthewaygirl · 29/11/2023 00:25

I love beards and like a pp I think men look weird without one. But I feel if you truly love someone then a beard shouldn’t be something that breaks your relationship (unless it’s a Gandalf looking beard lol). Obviously there’s other stuff going on like his anger issues and his phone usage that are the true problems.

Pinkbonbon · 29/11/2023 00:35

So he tells you to stfu, is verbally abusive in general, never off his phone and gone...shabbysheek (or shabbycheek...sorry, sorry).

Get rid.

I'm a Scorpio, want me to stick my sting through his midriff and drop him in the bin for you?

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